


finding new ways to be awed each minute

by arachnistar



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Huddling For Warmth, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 20:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17230862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arachnistar/pseuds/arachnistar
Summary: Theoretically Jake understands how they got here. The heater in his car broke down and they still have hours left on this stake-out. Huddling for warmth just makes sense. In reality, his brain has turned to static and this seems more like a dream than anything else.





	finding new ways to be awed each minute

**Author's Note:**

> A gift to @nolookfive for the Secret Santa event. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Additionally, in honor of my busted heater back in Pennsylvania, which decided not to work for the last week of the semester. Fortunately it was fixed before it was cold enough for the pipes to freeze. I was relieved to return to California and a functional heater though the chill did inspire this so something good came out of it. Title is from Crack the Shutters by Snow Patrol.

“It was a mistake to take your car.”

“What’s wrong with my car?”

Jake avoids the sharp look Amy sends his direction by focusing on the warehouse door. It’s supposed to be the hide-out of an art thief with a penchant for Renaissance artwork, but so far, nothing. Not even the hint of any activity.  

“Your heater died and now we’re stuck on a stakeout for hours without heat in the dead of winter.”

Jake snorts. “April is hardly the dead of winter.”

She rolls her eyes and huddles into the seat, wrapping her arms around herself. “Dead of springtime then.”

He laughs and even though it’s at her expense, it’s the pout on her face, he can’t help it, he can see the smile twitching to break out on her face. And well, she’s not exactly wrong. It’s chilly without any heat circulating and they’ve been staring at the warehouse for an hour with no progress, which has only made the car feel colder. Still, he has a job to keep morale up.    

“Oh, come on, it’s not that cold.”

“It’s _frigid_.”

Without thinking about it, Jake reaches across the console to touch her hand. “You weren’t kidding. Are you made of ice, Santiago?”

Meanwhile, Amy’s hand flips around and grips his tightly. Her other hand comes around to cover his from the top, clenching it like a lifeline. It’s almost a little painful, the way her fingers dig into his skin, but he’s too distracted by the fact that he’s holding Amy Santiago’s hand to care that much.

“You okay? Did you realize you’re still extremely in love with me?”

“Shut up. Your hand is warm. That’s all this is.”  

He laughs. It almost helps him ignore the fizzy feeling in his stomach, or the way his hand seems to be burning at her touch. _Almost_.

“Maybe we should huddle closer for more warmth.” He suggests, with a grin.

It’s in line with their usual flirty banter, the type that never goes further than words and heated looks sent her way when she isn’t looking. Amy will roll her eyes or she’ll retort with another joke and then they’ll smile and laugh and move on like they always do. It’s innocent fun that has absolutely nothing to do with the way his heart flips in his chest whenever he sees her. 

Amy is quiet though and when he looks at her, she’s watching him with a thoughtful expression, brow knit together. Then she nods. “It’s your fault we’re freezing. Maybe you should be my space heater for a while.”

“I was joking.” She continues staring at him and he sighs, “It’s a bad idea.”

Her lips twitch. “Because you used to like me?”

He scoffs. “I was just thinking about how quickly we could get out of this car if we’re cuddling since we _are_ still working, but fine, if you want to make everything _unprofessional_.”

“I’m not – take that back!”

He laughs, delighted, because if there’s anything more adorable than a pouting Amy Santiago, it’s an indignant Amy Santiago.  

She squeezes his hand harder until it actually does hurt and he shakes his head. “Okay, okay, you’re the most professional person I know.”

“That’s right.” There’s a beat, her fingers loosen their grip and rub circles into his skin as if in apology, he’s not sure she’s aware of what she’s doing though he’s absolutely sure she has no idea what it’s doing to his insides, and then she says, her voice hesitant, “So… are you going to warm me up?”

And because there’s nothing left to say, he agrees, “Okay then, right, cool, cool, cool.”

The thing is Jake knows this is a bad idea. He knows it. And yet, he still slides over the console and squishes himself next to Amy who has moved to give him some space. It’s not the most comfortable arrangement, two adults crammed into a single seat, knees knocking against each other as they shift around for the best position, and the edge of the console digs into his thigh, but he’s also so close to Amy that nothing else really matters. Once they’ve settled into something more comfortable, his arm, tentative, like maybe she’ll realize this is a mistake, comes up around her shoulders. She leans in closer, resting against his chest, legs tucked up. A content hum escapes her throat.

He has to admit it is a good deal warmer now.  

He also has to admit that despite keeping his eyes locked on the warehouse they’re staking out, his mind is anywhere but on the case. Instead he’s much more aware of the steady rhythm of her breathing, the smell of her hair, the way she is very real and very warm against him.

He steals a glance down at her. Her head is tilted so she can keep an eye on the warehouse, but as he’s staring at her, she looks up at him. His mouth turns dry and he looks away, locks his gaze on the warehouse door. A part of him hopes the thief arrives right now so they can make the bust but the rest of him never wants this moment to end.

After a while, Jake has never been good at judging time and any ability he had has been thrown out the window in the face of Amy Santiago, he clears his throat. “Can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

He’s quiet for a moment. He can still step back. He can still walk away, back into pretending she’s a friend he feels no attraction to. Crack a joke and make her laugh or groan or roll her eyes. But somehow that feels wrong. Dishonest and – well, she’s curled up against him and it feels like maybe she feels the same as him. It certainly feels more possible than the last time he confessed his feelings.

“The reason I said this was a bad idea wasn’t because I used to like you. It’s because I still do.”

Silence settles in the car. Jake’s pretty sure he’s stopped breathing, his chest tight with anticipation and fear, and it’s too late to walk it back and he doesn’t want to, he wants her to know it all, but oh, he’s absolutely messed this up and now she’ll move away from him but at least he’ll know.

At least he’ll know.

Amy does shift back, he tries to ignore the way his heart plummets to the ground, and then her face is in front of him. She’s biting her lip and he can feel his heart picking itself back up at that one small expression, like it’s enough to hang all his hope on. He keeps himself very still, lest the slightest motion break the moment.

Her hands go up and cup his face. They’re warm now; in fact, they feel hot against his face, burning like the stare she’s giving him.

And then she leans in. Her lips are warm and soft, moving against his, the first touch a spark that sets an inferno blazing through his entire body. He opens his mouth to her, lets her push him back against the seat as they kiss, as her hands grip his hair. His hands settle on her hips, steadying her as she moves to straddle him, and then she’s there. She’s there over him, and they’re kissing. Everything feels hot, like it’ll burn him up and leave nothing behind but ash and he’ll let it, he’ll let this, _her_ , take everything.

When she pulls back, he stares at her, dazed and awed. His expression is reflected back on her face. He can’t entirely be certain that this is real life, except that he still feels the warm press of her body against his, her thighs bracketing and grounding him into a reality that is much, much better than his dreams.  

“That wasn’t just for warmth, right?”

“No. I like you too.”

Her smile makes him melt. He smiles too, a wide and slow grin that spreads across his face as it fully registers. Amy likes him, she _likes_ him, she likes _him_. It sounds good, too good, every way he thinks it and yet, it’s true. Right out of her mouth.

“And okay, it was about twenty percent because you’re warm.”

He laughs, surprised and joyous, bubbling with the kind of warmth that comes from knowing your feelings are reciprocated, from knowing that you’ve found something special. “I can warm you up some more.”

Her smile widens, “I’d like that,” and she kisses him again.

Before it can deepen, a movement catches Jake’s eye and he pulls back. There, by the warehouse door, there’s a figure fiddling with the key. “Toomey!”

They stumble out, it’s just as awkward as Jake expected it would be but there are no regrets, and then take off after the criminal. Amy nods at him, a quick jerking motion as she peels to the left, his heart thrills with the ease of their communication and the recent kiss, and he keeps straight ahead after Toomey. They head him off in a nearby alley and as Amy reads the Miranda rights and Jake snaps cuffs on Toomey’s wrists, he can’t help but smile at her, the giddiness from before mixing with the adrenaline of the chase. She smiles back.

They still have to bring Toomey in and there’s paperwork to be filed in the warmth of their office, but after, well Jake doesn’t know what’ll happen after but he’s excited to find out. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to chat with me about peraltiago/b99/anything else, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://proofthatihaveaheart.tumblr.com/).


End file.
